Almost Mortal (A Legal Thriller)

KIRKUS REVIEW A Virginia public defender aims toprotect a priest by stopping a confessed serial killer from committing anothermurder in this thriller.Sam Young is a lawyer accustomed toworking off the books, especially given the amount of money that peoplewillingly pay him. But helping Father Andrada, who was a friend to his mother,is a little more personal. Church employee Camille Paradisi tells Sam that aconfessor has admitted to the priest that he's the Rosslyn Ripper, responsiblefor three recent, brutal murders. Camille doesn't know the killer's identitybut wants to find a way to keep Andrada from landing in legal trouble orbreaking his vow. At the same time, someone's sending pages of a journal to thechurch, possibly the killer, though there are no specifics on the Rippermurders. The journal's author claims to have an ability akin to mind reading,much like seeing a person's inner "framework." Sam, as it happens, can likewisefeel or probe other people's minds. He tries to connect the manuscript and achalice at the church--with a bit of covert DNA testing--to the Ripper case butcan't prevent a fourth murder. His apparent psychic abilities, however, maylink him to the journal as well as a secret past. Despite the title hinting atsomething supernatural, the novel becomes more of a legal thriller. There arecountless scenes, for example, of Sam with various clients, including physicianFred Torres, who owes money to a loan shark, and Nguyen Jones, who's exoneratedof child-porn charges. Jones aids Sam with his computer skills. The perpetuallycomposed Sam carries the story with chic and humbleness. Leibig ( The BlackRabbit , 2014, etc.) treats Sam's extraordinary talent in the same way, theattorney using it both sparingly and inconspicuously. Sam rightly suspects thatCamille's not telling him everything, leading to a final act that's virtuallyoverflowing with revelations and twists. The author keeps all of it fromspinning out of control, though a few questions go unanswered, like why Camillefelt the need to mislead Sam with at least one significant piece of information.Still, the narrative could be a stand-alone or the start of a series, hopefullyfronted by Sam.A poised protagonist leads thisserpentine but engaging legal tale. From Northern Virginia Magazine: Almost Mortal by Christopher LeibigKöehlerbooksAlexandria lawyer Christopher Leibigtakes readers into the world of SamYoung, a public defender with a knackfor truly understanding people. It isn'tuntil there is a serial killer on the looseand a confluence of multiple clients thathis psychic abilities go full throttle. Readersare enticed with mystery and intrigue,and the strong cast of characters minglethis world's morality with a higherpower's true intentions for mankind.(PARTIAL AUTHOR INTERVIEW BY SMALL FRIENDLY PLANETInterview with Christopher Leibig, Author of Almost MortalWritten by bdweb8618k xa0//xa0 February 1, 2016 xa0//xa0 Cool People xa0//xa0 No comments SFP: What inspired you to write Almost Mortal ? Chris Leibig:xa0 I started writing it as a pretty normal legal thriller with the twist that main character had minor psychic abilities. Then I was on vacation in Argentina and visited a small rural town outside Barilche, in Patagonia. I saw a wooden cross, like a crucifix, in the ground at the corner of a dirt crossroads with the mountains in the background and started writing, just for fun, a story about some kids who grew up in that village and believed they may be the spawn of Satan. After a day or so, I blended the two stories, which is why there is a front story and a back story in Almost Mortal that eventually come together. SFP: What is the underlying theme of the story that you want readers to walk away with? Chris Leibig: The book is for entertainment. If there is a big theme in itxa0 would say it is that many of the things our culture tells us about good and evil is obviously oversimplified. Who are the good and bad characters in Almost Mortal is sort of hard to figure out. SFP: What is your writing process? Chris Leibig: On a short fiction project I usually write to completion, than revise again and again, usually with the help of quite a few people - some of whom are way better at this than me. On a novel, it's different. I have to get feedback along the way. To see which direction things should go. In either case though, the story driven by the characters. Invent them, understand them, put them somewhere with a problem, and they can take over. SFP: How has technology impacted your ability to gain readership? Chris Leibig: So far, I have to say it has not. I have two previouslyxa0 published novels through a small press in London, but no substantial sales. Without marketing and such, I think it is very hard to drive sales. My new publisher, Koehler Books, has done a lot to get the right people to look at Almost Mortal so that the wider public has a chance to see or hear about it. SFP: How does your work as a defense lawyer impact your writing? Chris Leibig: Constantly. When I'm in the mood, I make notes all day of ideas that come up while talking to clients and defending cases. Even little quotes, the way someone says something or reacts to a situation, can head somewhere. At the end of every day, when I remember, I write down my favorite quote of the day. Later, I look through them and remember something I can use. SFP: What about writing novels/short stories do you find the most challenging? Chris Leibig: With a novel it is really hard to keep things consistent. You revise one thing, and hundreds of other little parts of it will fall if they don't catch up to the revision. You look back at a section sometimes and say, "whoa, this character would never act that way." Thexa0 point is, you changed the character. His or her whole past has to catch up with the change. SFP: What are your aspirations as a writer? Chris Leibig: I think Almost Mortal would be a great pilot forxa0 TV series. Or a movie. Would I would really like to do is continue to practice criminal defense by taking cases I really want to take, but to work on a TV series or novels all the time. AUTHORSREADING Review of Almost Mortal About the book: Almost Mortal by Christopher Leibig is a suspenseful story about thelife and cases of a defense attorney-Sam Young.xa0 Sam works in thedefense attorney's office, but has crossed over and takes on cases thatdo not come to him through his office.xa0 Sam has a very large array ofclients--at times there are not enough hours in the day.xa0 Almost Mortaltakes place in the midst of a serial killer on the loose-Sam becomesentangled in the fray of the case through a nun.xa0 Camille contacts Samon the pretense of getting advice about confessions being made to theirmutual friend-Father Andrada.xa0 She indicates that maybe the serialkiller is confessing to Father Andrada and she wants to be sure that the priest is not implicated.xa0 Up until this time in the book youhave been following Sam and the harried life he leads-both within hisoffice and those that he chooses to represent outside the realm of thedefender's office.xa0 Camille and Sam forge ahead with the info she iswilling to give to Sam - and at this same time Camille presents Sam with a journal.xa0 Is this the journal of the serial killer?xa0 Sam beginsreading and is enthralled with the events and people in this journal.xa0 There are lots of people and twists in Almost Mortal that all point to Samand his solving the murder.xa0 All are intertwined with him and play arole in the solving of the case and handling matters after the case issolved.Leibig has done a masterful job of tying Sam, Camille and the large array of others to the case.xa0 You will not put the piecestogether until Leibig has you at the last page.xa0 Thus, you will sit down with Almost Mortal and not want to put it down.xa0 Leibig has a very nice and easy way with his writing that will keep you captivated.Good Book!!!!To be published May 2016.xa0 Watch for it!! xa0xa0Word Slinger Praise for Indie Award Winning Novel, Almost Mortal from Koehler Books:Word Slinger PublicityApril 20 at 2:50pmxa0·xa0AWARD! Big news - Christopher Leibig just took FIRST PLACE for religious fiction in the 2016 Indie Book Awards! It isn't posted yet on their site, but you can check on the book on Amazon. And if you're a reviewer, you can ask us for a copy!Almost MortalEmerging criminal defense attorney Sam Young has always known he had a gift. Or a curse. He thinks of them as minor psychic abilities. When Sam is hired by an attractive young nun named Camille Paradisi, he agrees to help discover the...AMAZON.COMLikeShow more reactionsCommentShareCommentsWrite a comment... Christopher Leibig is a novelist and criminal defense lawyer who lives and works in Alexandria, Virginia. His first two published books, Saving Saddam (2008), and Montanamo (2010) were published by Artnik Books in London. Saving Saddam was released in 2014 in the United States under the title Black Rabbit. Chris also has several published short stories - Secret Admirer (The Cynic on-line magazine 2004) Coldcocked (Skyline magazine 2004), Fly (The Cynic on-line magazine 2009), Intervention (Traveller's Playground Press 2014), and Paradise City (Traveller's Playground Press 2014). Chris has also published numerous articles on criminal defense and related topics - including in the Huffington Post and The Examiner - and appeared as a legal expert regularly since 2009 in print and television media - including Fox News, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated. He and his colleagues regularly lecture at law schools throughout Europe and the Caribbean.